Melrose, 51, a former player and coach for the Adirondack Red Wings and former co-owner of the United Hockey League franchise in Glens Falls, replaces John Tortorella, who was fired June 3.

Former coach of the Los Angeles Kings, Melrose got a glowing endorsement from Wayne Gretzky, who told the Tampa Tribune: “I think it’s wonderful. It’s a great opportunity for Barry. He’s a tremendous coach. . . . He’s a player’s coach, and just as important he understands the media and he understands the marketplace that he’s in at Tampa Bay. It’s not the same as being in a place like Montreal or Toronto. His experience of being in L.A. and dealing with that, this will be a real positive and I think he’ll do a tremendous job.”